Dark Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Bars

These babies are vegan, low sugar and protein loaded, making them perfect for the mornings or an afternoon snack. I used just a little bit of maple syrup in this recipe, so if you do want them sweeter, you can add more syrup (as noted below), but I really liked them the way they are because I don’t like anything overly sweet in the morning. I also used 100% dark chocolate, so if you use something less bitter, that’ll add the sweetness. But like I said, I really enjoyed the fact that I didn’t feel like I was eating a sugar bomb in the morning.

Ingredients

DRY

• 1 cup oats

• 1/4 cup almond flour

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp baking powder

• pinch of salt

WET

• 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax, 6 warm water, sit for 15)

• 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

• 1/2 cup almond butter

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 tablespoons dairy-free milk

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (add 1-2 tablespoons for more sweetness)

MIX INS

• 1 dark chocolate bar chopped or 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (leaving a little extra to sprinkle on top)

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes, divided

1. Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. In a separate medium bowl, mix together wet ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until evenly combined. Mix in chocolate and 2 tablespoons coconut.

3. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, and add the oat mixture in until it’s even in the pan, smoothing the top over with a flat spatula or spoon.

4. Top with remaining chocolate and coconut. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let cool and cut into 9 squares.